jamespatrickflannery

Still taking questions - don't be shy...

Interesting question. I think its basically philosophy based on observations, not just about human nature, but of all the experiences around us. I like to think the secrets of the universe are either too complicated for a human OR so simple that any human could figure it out even if on a deserted island somewhere. I try to avoid focusing on equations as it makes people think they understand things.... many people think because they know an equation or how to predict a future behavior that they truly understand something. I like to be honest and admit that I love physics because it is beyond my understanding.

Yes. Why not?

I'm not sure what that means.... but the best answer I can give is that, no it was not good two years ago - it was absolutely amazing!!! It only existed in my brain and therefore was completely flawless and explained laws of nature with such ease that I was convinced I should spend all my time and energy bringing it to life. Unfortunately, I am human, and as I tried to convert the show from my brain (over two years) into a material form that I could share with people - the quality has slowly dropped off.

For the first competition we have judges reviewing the videos for accuracy and quality. Right now I have Dr. Alec Cerchiari PhD signed on as a judge as well as myself. I have a high school physics teacher who I'm discussing being a judge in addition to searching for a bright high school student.

As the project grows (future competitions) I will need to adapt to having an 'overflow'. One thing I want to implement is an opportunity for one or two early submissions for review so students don't spend all their time making a great video and then having it get dismissed for something small (+ - sign for example).

Another option would be to allow errors and then provide the corrections below. Kind of like your seeing the students work plus their grade on it. Nobody's perfect.